Another superb addition to the Service Dealer Conference line-up has been announced by the organising team today.

The straight-talking Heather Wildman of Saviour Associates - a company who specialise in advice to the agribusiness community - will be speaking to our dealer delegates on the ever-tricky subject of succession.

We know this is one of those topics that worries many of our readers. It's one of those awkward areas that can get pushed to one side and ignored for far too long - until it becomes more of a problem than it needs to be. And it's completely understandable that that can be the case. It's a discussion that more often than not encompasses difficult ground - like family ties, money and death!

Ugh! Just writing those words gives me the heebie-jeebies! But I know they shouldn't. They are areas best addressed matter-of-factly, out in the open and, frankly, sooner rather than later. Or else we're looking at that snowball effect of a problem growing larger than it should.

We raised the subject with you, our dealer readers, earlier this year to gauge your thoughts. The feedback we received was both fascinating and to be honest, rather concerning,

One reader spoke to us about how they have been warning their suppliers about dealers without succession plans disappearing off the network map for several years now. "It’s plain for all to see," they said, "and what’s more, it puts huge pressure on those of us that are left."

They went on to explain how not only are dealers closing but they are not releasing any staff. "So, the work finds us but we can’t find people to do the work." A lose-lose scenario for the industry.

Another dealer told us how they had realised one particular Saturday morning, that the three staff they had working had a combined age of 203 - whilst on the following Saturday the four staff working had a combined age of 265! This they felt, was likely to be repeated in dealerships around the country. They were very much of the opinion that giving thought to succession plans is something that's put off in favour of coping with everyday pressures. They told us, "Dealers have all kinds of things to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Time flies by and we all put off this important matter, mainly to get the customers’ machinery renewed or repaired."

They went on to ask, "What are the manufacturers' plans to support their products if all us older guys and girls have not got a succession plan?" Which is clearly a question with a difficult answer.

It's invaluable feedback from our readers such as this, that makes it abundantly clear that this is an area that dealers would appreciate some guidance and advice on - hence the TAP team making sure they had a no-nonsense presenter such as Heather signed up for this year's Conference.

We'd still like to hear from any readers who would like to share their experiences or worries regarding succession in their business. Any and all real-world feedback from the network that we can pass on to Heather in advance of her addressing delegates at the Oxford Belfry, will help to give her a clearer picture of the specific concerns our sector holds.

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on the subject, or if you'd prefer to remain anonymous please feel free to drop me line at steve@servicedealer.co.uk in complete confidence.

As ever, hearing directly from our dealer readers allows us to shape the Conference so it can precisely address the pressing concerns of the UK dealer network.

Service Dealer have confirmed the latest speaker for November's Service Dealer Conference.

Heather Wildman of Saviour Associates - who provide agribusiness clients access to sound unbiased advice, coaching and mentoring - will be addressing delegates on the hot button topic of succession.

Heather says she is renowned for her straight talking, no nonsense approach and for not being afraid of tackling difficult conversations. She has a fun, relaxed manner and has an energy that is contagious and inspiring  - soft skills with a sledge hammer is how she describes herself!

She has more than 26 years’ experience of working in the dairy and agricultural industry both in Scotland, UK and overseas and offers an enviable network and knowledge of global matters.

Heather specialises in providing independent advice, support and guidance for people and businesses to manage their own personal and business succession, through one-to-one discussions, workshops, seminars and conferences. She says of succession, "It’s important to plan for as we never know how long we have - and we also never know how much we could or can achieve.

"Be bold, be ambitious, but own it and then make it happen."

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted to confirm Heather for this year's Conference. We know that many of our dealer readers have real concerns regarding matters of succession. I'm sure Heather's matter-of-fact style will provide plenty of practical advice that will help to start conversations back in the dealership."

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, the theme for this year's event is Sustaining Dealerships.

Farmers are showing increased interest in machinery and equipment that will help them to farm more sustainably and lower their costs of production - according to business advisers at the Midlands Machinery Show.

 
They believe with soaring costs looking like they’re here to stay, growers are searching for ways to improve efficiencies and lower their inputs.
 
“People are interested in machinery that will help them be more efficient and reduce input costs, while still allowing them to continue with the same farming system,” says Alex Olivant, farm business consultant at Active Business Partnerships in Nottinghamshire. 
 
“A lot of people are looking at fertiliser spreaders so they can use variable rate applications, and also direct drills, which used to require a lot of paperwork for grant funding, but now applications are much quicker,” she adds. 
 
“There is 100% more interest in efficiency and what the new environmental schemes will push towards. Better efficiency is better for the environment and your back pocket, so it’s a win-win.”  

Organisers of the Midlands Machinery Show that takes place on 16-17 November, say visitors will be able to get plenty of advice from farm business consultants, while also seeing the machinery up close and talking to equipment manufacturers.
 
Sam Tugwell, a regional advisor at Velcourt who covers a large area surrounding Leicestershire, helped a number of clients last winter to access government capital grants, and will be exhibiting at this year’s event. 
 
“Mostly clients were using the capital grant for reduced input machinery, like direct drills,” says Mr Tugwell. “It wasn’t people who were having a wholesale change to the way they farm, it was those who were upgrading their existing direct drills.
 
“Farmers are also showing interest in inter-row hoes for cereal crops, and rotary hoes that remove weeds from standing crops,” he adds.
 
He says he expects the trend for machinery that reduces inputs and environmental impact to increase in the coming years. 

Lantra say they are set to kick-off a major national showcase event for land-based industries by championing the future of training and qualifications in the sector.

Representatives from the training and qualifications awarding organisation will be attending the forthcoming Arb Show 2022 which will feature at the APF Exhibition 2022 - that takes place at Ragley Estate in Warwickshire, from September 22 until September 24.

Stephen Roberts, head of instructor network at Lantra, is scheduled to be the first speaker at the event at 10am on September 22, and during his speech he says he is planning to highlight the work of Lantra the awarding organisation offering training courses and qualifications in forestry and arboriculture.

Mandy Maynard, Lantra's national development manager, and Sean Duffy - head of industry partnerships (Forestry & Arb), will also be attending the event which is set to attract around 22,000 visitors and more than 300 exhibitors.

Lantra will have its own stand at the event and will deliver demonstrations of two-rope working in light of recent legislation changes in that field.

In the demonstrations’ area, Lantra will have two of their Verifiers available to demonstrate and advise on safe working practices which are compliant with HSE and are now used in the revised Lantra tree climbing training courses.

Lantra say they worked with the Arboricultural Association and HSE to ensure all its training and qualifications were updated to reflect these changes and that they were clearly explained within the materials.

For those who are still unsure about the revised two-rope requirements, Lantra has a range of Aerial refresher courses available, and these have had ‘TG1 2020’ added to the course title to ensure climbers and employers are up-to-date with additional requirements.

The courses available are:

• Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Tree Climbing, Aerial Rescue and Use of a Chainsaw from a Rope & Harness (TG1   Update 2020) Refresher;
• Use of a Chainsaw from a Rope & Harness (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Tree Pruning (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Aerial Tree Rigging (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher.

To find out more about these courses and where they are delivered, click here. 

Commenting ahead of the event, Stephen Roberts, said, “I am delighted to be speaking at this prestigious event and spotlighting training opportunities in forestry and arboriculture. So, if you want to learn more about training courses, or how to become a Lantra Instructor or Assessor, then I urge people to come to this event which is a major highlight in the forestry and arboriculture calendar.

“People are leaving the industry, maybe through retirement or pursuing other opportunities, so we need to attract more people in to drive forward the future of these sectors.

Sean Duffy, head of industry partnerships in Forestry and Arboriculture, said, “Lantra is incredibly excited to be attending the show after the forced Covid break. It will be the first time we’ve been able to meet some of our industry contacts face to face since the last event back in 2019. We’re really looking forward to meeting our fellow F&A enthusiasts and sharing all that’s new from Lantra.”

Boss ORV has announced the appointment of Abrey Agricultural Ltd. as a Corvus off-road utility vehicle dealer.

Toby Abrey and Phil Everett

Founded in 1935, Abrey is based in Saffron Walden and will represent Corvus as dealer for the Essex and Cambridgeshire area.

“Abrey Agri has been substantially extending their product portfolio in the past few years,” says Boss ORV managing director Phil Everett, “to support their further push into professional groundcare, estate management and general agriculture. The range of Corvus UTVs will add to this massively.”

Now in its third generation as a family business, Abrey Agricultural is farm based and so they say they are able to offer clients the opportunity to test drive machines on the premises. They see this as especially important in the case of testing UTVs in the sort of terrain where they will be used.

“Their professional user base all have a requirement for UTVs, so the partnership is an obvious fit for us,” says Phil. “We offer a big Corvus welcome to Toby Abrey and all the team at Abrey Agriculture.”  

A well-known industry name has joined the team at Redexim to support their growth and spearhead the UK’s commercial activities.

Paul Langford

As the new director of commercial operations, Paul Langford will be leading the team of regional sales managers and be in charge of the development of the overall sales and marketing strategies.

Formally the managing director of TigerTurf UK, Redexim say Paul has a track record for building successful B2B and B2C relationships and driving business change, which has resulted in over 20 years of experience in leadership and sustainable growth.

Alongside his position at TigerTurf UK, Paul held the role of manufacturing group chairman at The Sports and Play Contractors Association (SAPCA) for six years - during which he also represented the synthetic turf manufacturing sector on the FIFA Turf Advisory Group (TAG). 

Paul said, “In Redexim, I have found a like-minded company that have a pedigree of high-performance products and ambitions to grow in what is an ever-changing marketplace.

“I’m a big believer that business should be approached with a strong sense of purpose, the right tools and the right plan to deliver excellence - but not forgetting to have some fun along the way!”

The organisers of the SALTEX exhibition say Britain’s exhibition scene is back to pre-Covid levels with international exhibitors and visitors from over 40 countries now signed up to attend.

They say this overseas support with 12 weeks to go before the show opens its doors on 2 November shows the strength of this event, now in its 76th year, and is an indication that Britain is back to being fully open for business as exhibitors and visitors travel to the event from as far afield as Australia. 

As an example of this international interest, SALTEX points out that Francesco Dotto, president of GrAssMed, the Mediterranean Groundsman Association, recently tweeted: “[SALTEX] is the most important green fair in Europe, for real professionals, but also for those who to approach sustainable and serious green.” He is referring to the show’s focus on sustainability and the environment, key topics featuring in the Learning LIVE seminars.

This also is a view shared by SGL, manufacturers of grass growth products such as grow lighting systems and data monitoring tools, based in The Netherlands - one of many international businesses exhibiting this year. Derk Pelle, content marketeer at SGL, confirms the reason they attend is because “SALTEX is an inspiring, international event where turf professionals come together to exchange knowledge and learn about the latest innovations in the industry and engage with turf professionals face-to-face.” 

Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association, said of the show's international interest, “There promises to be a diverse visitor profile this year, we know there are visitors from over 26 countries already. We had a good show last year with our post-show visitor survey, showing that 83 percent of attendees rated SALTEX 2021 overall as excellent, very good or good, and 67 percent of those saying they attended specifically to purchase new products or services, and 84 percent either had full purchasing responsibility or contributed to the process.

"These are great stats, but we knew that it was post pandemic and people were longing to get out and meet up again but to continue this momentum is really encouraging.”

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